Headphone earmuffs

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates in general to ear muffs and in particular to an earmuff that are to be used in conjunction with headphones for portable radios, cassette players and the like. The outer surface of the earmuff is a solid shape resembling a standard earmuff while the inner side that faces the ear breaks apart into 2 C-shape donut halves to accommodate the placement of the headphone speaker. This design allows the earmuff to be positioned around the headphone speaker by means of the 2 C-shape donut halves and reconnect together around the headphone speaker in order to stabilize against the headphone and allow space for the headphone band and speaker wire between the connected respective halves of the donut. The earmuff makes use of the unique donut design to accommodate various styles of portable headphones while providing maximum insulation to the ear. The earmuffs are detachable and can be exchanged. The earmuff in this invention can be made of various materials customary to cold weather clothing accessories, such as wool, cotton and the like. The earmuff is designed to encompass and protect the headphone speaker from weather elements as well as being made of materials high in insulating capacity and being of a size to envelope the ear of the wearer as well as the surrounding part of the head as is similar to the coverage and insulation provided by typical earmuffs on the market.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable

Background

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] This invention relates in general to ear muffs, specifically toear muffs that are to be used in conjunction with headphones forportable radios, cassette players and other media players of the like.

[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0005] The Earmuff originally was designed to protect the ears from coldweather. The Earmuffs consisted of two insulated cushions or muffsusually round or oval typically attached together with a flexible curvedcenter section or band. The band extends over the head of the wearer andhas at each end, the padded earmuff piece that is permanently affixed tobe in register with the ear of the wearer.

[0006] For purposes of definition, the standard earmuff commonlyavailable on the market today, will be defined to include the abovedescription as well as the following features. The typical earmuffconsists of two pads or muffs commonly filled with insulating paddingand covered with an insulating material such as cloth, fur—synthetic orotherwise. The typical earmuff design is oversized in relationship tothe ear in order to over both the ear and part of the head around theear to ensure a comfortable and well-insulated fit.

[0007] In addition, devices also known as earmuffs have been used toprovide acoustic protection to the ear of a wearer against excessivenoise such as the sound of a firearm which is discharged or the sound ofa jet engine. Devices known as headsets, earphones or headphones havebeen used to provide a means for positioning a speaker adjacent to theear of the user while excluding background noise in order to facilitatethe reception of sound. The headphone devices have typically been madewith a flexible curved center section or band, which extends over thehead positioning a speaker adjacent to the ear of the user whileexcluding background noise in order to facilitate the reception ofsound.

[0008] Portable radios and cassette players with small portable speakersare very popular. The speakers that accompany these portable players areusually small and lightweight and are designed to fit on the earcomfortably with their circumference well within the area of the ear.Due to their size and construction the speakers do not lend themselvesto protecting the ear against cold weather. Larger headphones do existthat completely cover the ear, but do not have the design elementsnecessary for proper insulation in cold weather and they areconsiderably larger, heavier and more expensive to be practicallyadapted for outdoor use.

[0009] The construction of the headphone is very similar to the earmuff.It consists of two speakers that are connected by a curved centersection, typically referred to as a band, which extends over the head ofthe wearer much like the ear muff, and is designed to hold the speakersadjacent to each ear the same way ear muffs are held over the ears by aband.

[0010] The two devices cannot be used together for the followingreasons. Earmuffs do not have the space required to accommodateheadphone speakers so that the headphone speakers could be placedadjacent to the ear while the earmuffs are also occupying the sameadjacent space next to the ear. Earmuffs and headphones make use of aband to position their respective end pieces, either muff or speakeradjacent to the wearers ear. Using both in unison becomes difficult dueto the multiplicity of bands and earpieces. The fitting of one set ofear pieces adjacent to the ear naturally prevents the placement of theother to the same.

[0011] Several types of headphone earmuffs have been proposed in thepast to accomplish the task of insulating the ear while wearingheadphones, but with inherent disadvantages.

[0012] Due to the popularity of headphones and portable listeningdevices such as radios, cassette, compact disc, and media devices of thelike, many styles of headphones have become available and are currentlyin use. Each style of headphone boasts a unique design as well asmaterials. The variances between models range in the areas of speakersize and shape, as well as the different band consistencies and theirconnection methods to the speakers they support. Prior art does notallow for the use of the headphone earmuff with the wide variety ofheadphones already available on the market.

[0013] The connection method which secures the earmuff to the headphonespeaker unit in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,215 depends on the band of theheadphone unit to be of a specific dimension as well as in onepredefined relationship to the headphone speaker which must be of aspecific size and circumference in order to connect the earmuff to theheadphone speaker. Any variation in speaker size, bandwidth or girth orangle of connection between the band and earphone speaker will renderthe design in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,215 unusable. Additionally, the designin U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,215 limits the size of the earmuff because it isconstructed with a spring loop that defines the circumference of theearmuff. The earmuff has inter-linking ends that comprise the connectingmechanism of the muff, which must stay in close relationship with theconnecting point of the band and the speaker in order to proveeffective. If the ring is made larger to accommodate an oversized earmuff consistent with the standard earmuff designs in the market today,the ring must still connect with the headphone at the same juncturewhere band and speaker meet making the enlarged earmuff hang well belowthe ear and not equally around it as an efficient use of an earmuffdictates.

[0014] Further by having a limited size and shape dictated by thepatent's design, the aesthetic features commonly associated with thepopularized earmuffs found in the market wherein a soft plush round oroval insulated pad being oversized to the ear touching the surroundingarea of the head is featured, is compromised in order to achieve thispatent's perceived function. In conclusion, the design above in U.S.Pat. No. 4,546,215 limits its uses with the various styles of headphoneson the market having only the capability to work in conjunction with afew that meet its limited physical dimension criteria.

[0015] In prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,898 the earmuff designed to beused in conjunction with headphones features two rounded flaps theintended to be secured flatly together sandwiching the earphone inbetween them. The flaps are fastened together by matching hook and loopfasteners or the like. It is thus required to match the opposing flapsin exact symmetry to each other while sandwiching the speaker at thesame time in order to properly place the headphone speaker within theearmuff. It is apparent by this designs functionality that it requirescomplex manipulation of the matching pieces to properly align andtherefore use this item. In addition, once the flaps are properly inplace, small adjustments necessary to keep the earmuff in properalignment with the headphone speakers proves difficult due to the factthat the two flaps completely encase the headphone speaker and there forallow for little movement with out the need to completely separate andreattach the flaps together in new alignment.

[0016] The design in U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,898 lacks the internalstructure that would otherwise prevent the earphone from twisting insidethe pocket created by the two-sandwiched flaps. Proper positioning ofthe earphone inside the sandwich pocket is possible, but due to the lackof structure and support proves difficult to maintain. The standardearmuff typically features oversized earmuff pads which surround the earand lie in contact with the area of the head around the ear in order tocompletely cover and insulate the wearers ear and ear region of thehead. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,898's use of flaps as described above make useof a thin cupped shape covered by material that engages the ear in orderto provide insulation. The cup is not shown to contact the head and thusdoes not envelope the ear nor is there mention that the design featuresinsulation of any kind outside of the aforementioned cloth material.This lack of insulation and respective area coverage around the earproves inadequate as a proper insulating device in extreme cold weather.

[0017] Both patents mentioned above go about solving the problem ofencasing the headphones within the earmuff by means of forming a pocketwith which the headphone speaker is to occupy. It is by the creation ofthis pocket, either by the matching of cloth flaps in U.S. Pat. No.4,654,898 or a cloth pocket framed by a spring loop, in U.S. Pat. No.4,546,215, that both designs fail to provide adequate insulationnecessary to protect the ear and surround area of the head. By having apocket as the center of the earmuff to accommodate the speaker the spaceis no longer available for insulation. And due to size restrictionsinherent in each design, there is little space and or surface areaavailable to adequately be used for insulating the ear. Both designsdepend on cloth such as wool with insulating properties to do the job ofkeeping the ears of the wearer warm. In extreme cold conditions thedesigns will not match the insulating efficiency of a fully paddedearmuff.

[0018] In other items of prior art, earmuffs and headphones are featuredtogether as one invention. The earmuffs are designed to attachexclusively to its headphone counterpart. The earmuff can not be usedwith other headsets on the market due to this design. This design doesnot fall within the range of inventions of earmuffs designed to fitheadphones, but an invention incorporating both headphone and earmufftogether. Therefore, this type of prior art does not provide an earmuffdesigned to be used with the variety of headphones on the market as myinvention does.

[0019] In conclusion, prior art earmuffs built to accommodate headphonespeakers have not solved the problem of incorporating the headphonespeaker inside the earmuff without sacrificing insulation and orallowing the muff to be any size or shape. In addition, the designs ofprior art have failed to make an ear muff capable of being used with themany styles and shapes of portable headphones on the market. Inaddition, prior art incorporates designs that either inconvenience theuser with their complexity having such things as flaps to align andmaintain as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,898 or spring loops to snap over onestyle of headphone as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,215. These designs areinconvenient to users that choose different headphone styles.

[0020] Further, the prior art discussed cannot be made into shapes suchas triangles or squares or enlarged circles due to their designlimitations. Typical earmuffs cover more than just the ear in order tobe effective. The typical earmuff design is intended to be oversized inrelationship to the ear in order to cover both the ear and part of thehead around the ear to ensure a comfortable and well-insulated fit. Thetypical earmuff is commonly filled with insulation and covered with aninsulating material. The prior art discussed above is limited both indesign as well as use of materials for accomplishing the same usefulnessas the standard earmuff described here. By showing how prior artcompares with the functionality of a typical earmuff and notingdisadvantages concerning their respective designs, it will becomeobvious how my headphone earmuff design encompasses and solves many ofthe issues presented.

SUMMARY

[0021] The headphone earmuff is designed to allow for listening to musicthrough portable headphones while having the ears protected from coldweather by an earmuff that surrounds the headphones and is in registerwith the ears and surrounding region of the head.

[0022] The headphone earmuff is band less, unlike conventional earmuffs,but otherwise is constructed of like materials possessing insulatingqualities and materials that accomplish the same.

[0023] The headphone earmuff uses the stereo headphones connecting bandto position and hold in place said earmuffs adjacent to the wearers earswhile using the headphone speakers as a positioning anchor to maintainproper alignment.

[0024] The headphone earmuff in my invention is designed specifically tobe used with a wide variety of portable headphone designs alreadyavailable and widely used on the market.

[0025] The headphone earmuff does not require a specially designedattachment system between the earmuff and headphone to combine the two.

[0026] The headphone earmuff in my patent can be oversized toaccommodate both the ear and the surrounding head area similar tostandard earmuff designs.

[0027] The design of my earmuff for portable headphones allows for anabundance of insulation and insulating materials

[0028] My design features a simple closing mechanism of facing hook andloop fasteners to secure the earmuff around virtually any style ofheadphone speaker and its band without sacrificing the ability to makeadjustments while wearing the earmuff on the headphones.

[0029] My design accomplished the purpose of an attachable earmuff forthe use with portable headphones without complex connecting mechanismsor structural design elements that require precise manipulation.

[0030] My design can be used with virtually any design of portableheadphone on the market

[0031] The earmuffs in my patent can be closely patterned after thestandard ear muff in order to accomplish design, utility, and aestheticadvantages in regards to like materials, like insulating properties andsimilar look feel and product identity that users of the standardearmuff are already used to.

[0032] The headphone earmuff may also be patterned in a variety ofshapes and materials to suit different uses for all types ofenvironments including but not limited to rain, snow, cold, and the likeas well as constructed out of alternative materials to suit userspreferences as well as purposes which are defined by environment and orhave not been identified yet.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0033] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the headphoneearmuff are:

[0034] (a) Allowing for the listening of music through portableheadphones in cold weather while protecting the ears and bead areaaround the ears from the cold.

[0035] (b) Protecting the earphones themselves from weather elementssuch as cold, and moisture.

[0036] (c) Uses the portable headphones as a supporting structure usingthe connecting band of the headphone to position and stabilize theheadphone earmuff over the wearer's ears while using the speakers toaffix to.

[0037] (d) Allowing for adjustments while in use for optimum comfort andfit.

[0038] (e) Simple to operate and machine washable.

[0039] (f) Can be created in any size shape or pattern for aesthetic,practical, and utilitarian considerations.

[0040] (g) Earmuffs are not required to have a connecting strap to holdthem in place over the ears.

[0041] (h) The headphone earmuffs are more compact than normal earmuffsdue to the lack of connecting band.

[0042] (i) It is possible to mix and match with other sets of headphoneearmuffs due to the individual muffs being separate and beingindividually attachable to each speaker headphone.

[0043] (j) Can be used with a wide variety of portable headphone designsavailable on the market.

[0044] (k) Aesthetically similar to earmuffs already on the market.

[0045] (l) Does not require special connections or intricatemanipulations for use

[0046] (m) The headphone earmuffs can be made from any cloth materialand the like.

[0047] (n) Provides more than adequate insulation for extreme weatherconditions.

[0048] (o) The headphone earmuff has a semi-rigid internal structurethat serves as a resilient shape for the earmuff that protects the earsas well as the headphones of the user from environmental abuses.

[0049] (p) The structure that comprises the form of the earmuff providesfor a secure fit and placement for the speaker inside the earmuff inorder to dramatically reduce random repositioning of said speaker duringuse.

[0050] Further objects and advantages of the headphone earmuff willbecome apparent from a consideration of drawings and ensuingdescription.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0051]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inside (side that faces theear) of the headphone earmuff. It is a basic donut shape constructed offoam or like material, which is divided in half and reconnected. Thedonut divides into the C-shapes in order to provide space for theheadphone speakers and reconnects around each speaker.

[0052]FIG. 2. The headphone earmuff is in an opened position showing howeach side (donut halves) open to receive the headphone speaker. Theheadphone speaker space accommodates most models of earphone speakers.The facing sides of the split donut fasten together around the headphonespeaker and headband in the original donut shape. This allows theheadphone muff to hug the speakers while staying in position and use thespeaker's headband to stay in position around the head. In addition, theplanar connecting donuts sides separate and reconnect respectively toallow for the positioning of the speaker wire, allowing it to passthrough the earmuff. The donut halves are connected with material ontheir back side allowing the donut halves to swing open to allow speakerto be positioned on the inside.

[0053]FIG. 3. Shows the outside of the headphone earmuff while closed.It looks like a regular earmuff except for the lack of a connectingstrap. The headphone earmuff is covered with insulating material, fuzzyor otherwise. Note there is not evidence of the split donut as seen onthe in FIG. 2. As indicated in the description of FIG. 2 above, thedonut splits and hinges open on one the inside to allow for headphonespeaker placement, however on the outside (FIG. 3) both donut halves arecovered with material resembling the standard earmuff, thus the donuthinges on the outside material opening on the inside (FIG. 2) whileretaining the earmuff form with the material on the outside.

[0054]FIG. 4. Shows the headphone earmuff connected to portable stereoheadphones. As indicated the headphone ear muffs enclose around thespeaker reconnecting each side of the donut with the hook and loopfasteners that encircle the band of the headphones on top and the wireback to the media player on the bottom. The earmuff fully surrounds theheadphone speaker insulating it and the ear from the cold weatherkeeping the inner side open to allow the speaker to rest against the earfor maximum listening pleasure. Together the headphone earmuff serves asan earmuff and headphone accessory useful in cold weather. FIG. 4 showson the left side the inside view of the earmuff around the headphonespeaker. The right side of FIG. 4 shows the outer view of the earmuff.

[0055]FIG. 5. shows the inside view of the headphone earmuff with theheadphone placed inside. The donut halves are closed around the speakerallowing between the facing halves of the split donut, the headphonespeaker on top and the wire below.

[0056]FIG. 6. Shows the inside view of the headphone earmuff in the openposition revealing how the headphone speaker, band and wire are placedin the earmuff before it is closed.

[0057]FIG. 7. Shows the open view of the earmuff as indicated in FIG. 2from the top of the split donut. It shows the donut hinged open to allowthe placement of the headphone and indicates how the material on theoutside of the ear muffs acts as a hinge allowing the donut to open.

[0058]FIG. 8. Shows the closed view of the earmuff as indicated in FIG.1, from the tops of the split donut in its closed position showing howthe headphone speaker is positioned inside the earmuff. The dotted lineson the earmuff show that there is a center section hollowed out for theplacement of the headphones within the earmuff. The dotted lines aroundthe headphone speaker indicate that they are enclosed within the twohalves of the donut in the center.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0059] 10 Headphone Speakers Space 18 Backing 12 Planar sides thatconnect. 20 Outer Surface 12a Planar sides top left 22 Connecting headBand 12b Planar side top right 24 Headphone Earmuff 12c Planar sidebottom left 26 Headphone Speaker 12d planar side bottom right 28 SpeakerWire 14 Inside Planar Surface 30 Foam Donut 16 C-shape half donut.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0060]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the headphone earmuff. Theinner structure is constructed out of foam material or the like of athickness that is rigid enough to hold the shape of a round disk cut inhalf and bored out in the center so that the structure is that of adonut cut in half. The two halves of the foam donut are then fastenedtogether with hook and loop type fastener. A speaker space 10 in themiddle is created when the two-donut halves 16 are fastened together.This speaker space 10 is occupied with a headphone speaker 26 where aband 22 follows between planar sides 12 a and 12 b at the top of theconnecting donut. Planar sides 12 c and 12 d at the bottom of the splitdonut reconnect around the headphone speaker 26 and speaker wire 28allowing it to exit the earmuff.

[0061] The outer covering of the foam donut comprised of the connectingC shape halves 16 is covered with fabric on its outer surface 20 andencloses each donut half 16, whether in open position or closed. FIG. 218 a backing connects both donut halves 16 together as they open andclose. This backing serves as the outer surface of the headphone earmuffas well as the connecting fabric keeping both donut halves fromseparating completely. In this fashion the backing FIG. 2-18 allows thedonut halves to swing open in FIG. 2 allowing the placement of thespeaker FIG. 4-26 and enclose the donut halves around the respectivespeakers by connecting together again.

[0062] The back covering 18 covers both donut halves together resemblingthat of a disk and wraps around each donut half, 16 and following thecontour of the inside of each donut, thus creating a space 10 that isnot covered by material that is used for speaker placement, theheadphone speaker space 10. On the outside of the headphone earmuff,FIG. 3 the two donut halves 16 are covered together comprising the outersurface 20 and resembling said disk.

[0063] Each foam donut half 16 connects together with hook and loop typefasteners that are adhered to the planar surfaces 12 a-12 b, and 12 c-12d mating each planar surface respectively allowing each donut to fastentogether.

[0064] When the donut halves 16 are closed FIG. 3 the outside is oneform (an oval shape in the figure). The inside of this connected ovalFIG. 1 connected together by hook and loop fasteners on planar sides 12a through 12 d surround the headphone speaker 26 that has been placed inthe speaker space 10. This closed form that is closed around eachspeaker is then used in conjunction with the speakers as they are wornover each ear allowing speakers to be against the ears as well as havingthe surrounding headphone earmuffs insulating the ears.

OPERATION OF INVENTION

[0065] The headphone earmuff functions as an earmuff that surrounds aheadphone speaker serving to insulate the wearers' ears while allowingthe use of headphones. Each muff is constructed as a fabric covered foamdonut that is split in half into C shaped half donuts 16 and reattachedtogether at the meeting planar edges 12 a through 12 d with a hook andloop type fastener. The donut is covered by material completely on theoutside of the form to resemble an oval, while on the inside covers eachdonut half following the contours of each half to allow for a spaceresembling a circular hole only on the inside of the donut formproviding space for speaker placement. The donut can then be “broken”apart hinging on the backing 18 to open and receive a headphone speakerinto its headphone speakers space 10. On the inside of the donut FIG. 2,the planar sides 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d, connect the C-shape half donuts16 around the speaker space 10 and allow for the headphone band to passthrough the pathway between planar edges 12 a and 12 b and allowing thespeaker wire to pass out at the bottom between planar edges 12 c and 12d as they connect in order to allow the muff to wrap around theheadphone speaker and serve as an earmuff.

[0066] Each donut half is attached by hook and loop fasteners connectedat the edges when the muff is closed. When pulled apart the earmuffhinges on the backing 18 or outer surface 20 like a hinge to allow theheadphone to be placed through the inside of the earmuff and the halvesaround it.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION SCOPE OF INVENTION

[0067] Thus the reader will see that the headphone earmuff is aninvention that provides a well insulated, lightweight, convenient easyto use headphone earmuff that can be used by people of almost any age.While the above description contains much specificity, these should notbe construed as limitations on the scope of the invention but rather asan exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof Many othervariations are possible. For example, different sizes and shapes ofstereo headphone earmuffs may be constructed to accommodate differentstyles and shapes of headphones while maintaining the same utility asthis design indicates. Although, the unique manner in which theheadphone earmuff in this invention accommodates almost any style ofportable headphones, size and shape considerations for style purposes aswell as marketing are to be considered within the scope of thisinvention.

[0068] The headphone earmuff may also be constructed of variousmaterials colors or shapes and used for purposes other than coldweather. The muff may be constructed to accommodate all conceivedconditions and applications for the uses with headphones. The headphoneearmuff may be made to suit all applications and uses mentioned, but notlimited to the descriptions and purposes Accordingly, the scope of thisinvention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated but bythe appended claims and their legal equivalents.

1) An article of clothing for insulating the ear of a human wearingportable headphones Comprising: 2) Two pads or muffs, each having arecess sufficient to accommodate said headphone speakers respectively.3) The article of clothing of claim 2) wherein the two said pads areband less. 4) The article of clothing of claim 2) wherein the two padsare sized to fit around portable headphones. 5) The article of clothingof claim 2) wherein the two pads are fabric covered. 7) The article ofclothing of claim 2) wherein the two pads or muffs are insulated. 8)Means for securing said muffs around said headphone speakers wherebypositioning each respective said muff and speaker adjacent to saidhumans ears connected together: 9) The article of clothing of claim 8)wherein said muffs enclose said headphone speakers. 10) The article ofclothing of claim 8) wherein said muffs can be used with a typical pairof portable headphones. 11) The article of clothing of claim 8) whereinsaid muffs that are snappably engaged to said headphone speakers arepositioned adjacent to the ears of the wearer.